This invention relates to network test and measurement, and more particularly to over the air mobile device detection.
The ability to accurately classify mobile devices on a WIPS overlays system is important to wireless network administrators.
Since the introduction of portable devices, most notably the first iPhone in 2007, BYOD or Bring your own Device has increased dramatically in enterprise wireless networks. Employees are on average brining 2 to 3 extra wireless devices into work (such as iPhones, iPads, Android phone or tablets, etc.). All of these extra devices were not factored into the design of the enterprise wireless network. Being able to accurately track these devices and separate them from “Stations”, devices which are planned as part of the network, is key to understanding what is the true number of devices that are being allowed to connect to an enterprise network.
Current methods to detect wireless devices in an enterprise network involve the use of hardware sensors that passively sniff 802.11 traffic, for example on the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies. The sensors systematically scan through all of the channels on an 802.11 wireless network on a continuous basis, and when a wireless device is detected, it is classified as a Station (a known or expected device, such as an employee laptop), an Access Point, or Ad-Hoc.